Princes of the Apocalypse

After resting In Red Larch for what seemed like ages, the party found themselves approached by a Lady Melissa. Hearing of the group exploits, she hired our company of heroes to help find her children who had recently gone missing near the town of Oakhurst. The two young children were adventurers themselves, hired as bodyguards for the very delegation our heroes were hunting down!

The group made its way to Oakhurst to find a town in desperate need of heroes. Rumors swirled about missing children, magic apples, haunted Mansions, and strange monster attacks. Our heroes decided to investigate the Drowned Citadel, a local ruin and the last place the delegation and its bodyguards were seen.

Upon reaching the ravine the citadel was located in, the party discovered a flock of Kenku spies hiding in a broken tower. Their leader, a kenku who goes by the name Corvo, offered valuable insight and scouting reports about the citadel in return for a favor. The party agreed and found themselves tasked with returning the magic sword Shatterpsike to the flock. The very sword one of the missing adventurers was famous for wielding.

- The Old Road ran right past the nearby ruins but fell into disuse decades ago because of bullywog banditry. No one is sure why the old fortress was built but locals call it the Drowned Citadel. Rumors claim it was once used by an ancient cult.

- The Old Road also skirts the Ashen Plain, a lifeless land. Locals claim that the desolation was caused by the rampage of an ancient dragon named Ashardalon.

- Several young boys have gone missing from the town. Rumors claim they simply ran off to escape the towns poverty, while their parents believe they were kidnapped or lured away.

- Cattle herders no longer graze their stock too far afield these days. They’re frightened by stories of monsters that prowl at night. No one has seen these creatures; however, cattle and people who have been caught out alone have been found dead. The cause of death seem to be from dozens of small, precise stabs all over the body.

- Another group of adventurers, locally based, left to delve into the citadel a week past. They were never seen again. Two human members of that adventuring party were siblings. Talgen (a male warrior) and Shara (a female caster). They belong to an important merchant family based in Oakhurst. Lady Melissa, the matriarch of the family, is offering gold and salvage rights to anyone that can find her children. The party included a warrior and wizard (her children) as well a sellsword named Sir Braford. Sir Bradford was local, and carried a magic sword called Shatterpsike.

- Sometimes the bullywogs offer another apple at Spring Equinox. This apple is corpse white, bitter, and utterly poisonous, killing any who consumed it by nightfall of the same day. No sample of either type remain anywhere near Oakhurst.

- A group of hunters visited the wooded hill on the abandoned edge of town recently, near Oakhurst Manor, looking to collect a few wolf pelts. When they returned from their hunt the next morning,they were badly injured and told chilling tales of enormous wolves, jumping statues, and demonic eyes staring from the shadows of the manor.

The party arrived in Red Larch with little trouble. After accommodating themselves with the locals and getting a room at The Swinging Sword Inn, it wasn’t long before several rumors had fell on their ears.

They decided to investigate rumors of strange figures wearing stone masks watching the local quarry workers at night. They found little information at the quarry but discovered that the strange figures were watching them too!

The next day led to a trek to Lance Rock. There they discovered the lair of “the Lord of Lance Rock”. They fought their way through the Necromancer Cave (complete with dancing zombies!) and dealt with the evildoer. After triumphing against their foe the party discovered something peculiar…

A strange symbol was found floating on a grotesque shrine. Kallista identified the sigil as the Elder Elemental Eye. She had seen the symbol in one of the various tomes she had read over the years but could recall no information about its origins or meaning.

The adventure begins

An important delegation has gone missing recently in The Dessarin valley. The delegation was traveling overland from the city of Mirabar to Waterdeep. The delegation stopped in the tiny village of Oakhurst, where the members mentioned their intent to visit sacred dwarven sites before continuing on to Goldenfields. They were last seen at the west end of the Stone Bridge, turning south to proceed overland through the heart of the Sumber Hills. It has now been almost a month, and the delegation never showed up at Goldenfields or any other outpost.

Powerful factions have good reason to worry about the missing delegation. The Harpers are concerned about a noted dwarf historian who was part of the delegation. The Emerald Enclave wants to know what happened to a pouch of magical seeds one of the delegation members was bringing to Goldenfields. Even The Zhentarim are interested in trying to improve their relations with Goldenfields by helping to solve the mystery.

Nestra Ruthiol has asked you to investigate the situation on behalf of the The Lord’s Alliance. The story came to her from a trapper who heard it in Red Larch, so she suggests that you should begin your search there.